Home in the Cave [Hardcover]

Janet Halfmann (Author), Shennen Bersani (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2012 | Lexile Measure: 750L (What's this?)

Baby Bat loves his cave home and never wants to leave it. While practicing flapping his wings one night, he falls, and Pluribus Packrat rescues him. They then explore the deepest, darkest corners of the cave where they meet amazing animals animals that don t need eyes to see or colors to hide from enemies. Baby Bat learns how important bats are to the cave habitat and how other cave-living critters rely on them for food. Will Baby Bat finally venture out of the cave to help the other animals?

4-6 pg For Creative Minds educational section in the back
40-60 pg cross-curricular Teaching Activities and 3 Interactive Quizzes available free on the book s homepage
eBooks with Auto-Flip, Auto-Read and selectable English and Spanish text and audio

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Janet Halfman (pronounced Howlf-mun) is the award-winning author of more than thirty fiction and nonfiction children's books, including Home in the Cave, Fur and Feathers, and Little Skink s Tail for Sylvan Dell. Other recent titles include Eggs 1, 2, 3; Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish; Good Night, Little Sea Otter; Garter Snake at Willow Creek Lane; and Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story. Janet is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Before becoming a children's author, Janet was a daily newspaper reporter, children's magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of four. When Janet isn't writing, she enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visiting living-history museums, and spending time with her family. She grew up on a farm in Michigan and now lives in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (February 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1607185229
• ISBN-13: 978-1607185222
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,893,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janet Halfmann (http://www.janethalfmann.com) is an award-winning children's author who strives to make her books come alive for young readers and listeners. She has written thirty-five books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Her new book Home in the Cave features Baby Bat and Pluribus Packrat exploring deep within their dark home; and the new title Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who Will the Babies Be? is a lyrical guessing and counting story. Her book Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish is a 2012 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12.

Before becoming a children's author, Janet was a daily newspaper reporter, children's magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of four. When Janet isn't writing, she enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visiting living history museums, and spending time with her family. She grew up on a farm in Michigan and now lives in South Milwaukee, WI.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully told and illustrated story about a cute Baby Bat! April 5, 2012

By Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Format:Hardcover

This review consists of two parts: 1. A review by my son (he's 5) and 2. Me (the Mom). These are excerpts from our review. For the full review please visit us at our website.

SON SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:
I would be scared of flying if I was a bat because I would be scared of being eaten by the kinds of animals that like to eat bats. I learned that there are lots of different animals that eat bat poop so bats are really important to other animals. I also now know that bat poop is called guano. Of the animals in the book, I liked the bat, snake, the cave crayfish, and the white spiders best. Another thing I learned is that even though bats have eyes, they don't see really well and use sound to tell how far away things are.

I didn't like that the bat crashed into the wall because I liked the bat and I felt bad about him getting hurt.

My bottom line:
I really liked this book and I think that other boys and girls my age would like this book.

MOM SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:
What a charming little book! The thing I like the most is that the author chose to feature an animal that is, in comparison to the cute little kitties, puppies, and bunnies often featured in young children's books, surrounded with mystique and is largely viewed as undesirable - a bat. Halfmann does a great job of demystifying bats and describing their important role in our ecosystem. In fact, many of Halfmann's other storybooks also feature animals that are not so cute and cuddly, such as skinks, starfish, porcupines, snakes, and so on. She is also the author of several non-fiction children's books about many different critters including bugs, mongooses, scorpions, lizards, as well as many others....

I actually learned something about bats myself. I knew about the benefits of guano but I learned about the variety of other cave-dwelling creatures which rely upon the bats' dinner scraps as well as the bats' other - ~ ahem~ - by-products. At the end of the book, there is also a four-page spread outlining more information about caves, stalagmites and stalactites (I can never remember which one points which way!), cave creatures, as well as more detailed information about bats. I really like how Halfmann includes the debate around whether bats are good or bad, helping kids understand how every creature has its own place in our ecosystem.

Aside from the educational value of the book and the beautiful illustrations, the story itself covers important themes such as finding the courage to "take flight" and seeing the value and taking pride in who you are and how you contribute to the wider society as a whole. Baby Bat teaches us all a lesson in this respect.

My bottom line:
I really, really liked this book because it has a strong story and it has educational value. I would recommend this book (and other Janet Halfmann books) to boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 8.

** The book Home in the Cave by J. Halfmann was provided free-of-charge by the author. ** Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Adventures of Baby Bat - Book 1 July 11, 2012

By Artlover

Format:Hardcover

This book has all the makings of a Caldecott Award book. Janet Halfmann did a terrific job creating a metaphoric story that parallels the life of most 2 to 7 year olds. She describes the cave and it's creatures in a way that pulls every child and adult into the story. It describes a baby bat who is afraid to leave his mother's side and to be on his own. At a young age, the bat learns about preditors and friendly cave dwellers who rely on the bats for food and life. Her use of the pack rat and other friends were priceless, showing the importance of friends and how many people who surround us are there to help. These are all great life lessons for children of all ages and it plants great moral seeds in toddlers and all children. Besides the wonderful story, the words could not have been brought to life any better than with Shennen Bersani's wonderful and heart-felt illustration portrayal. I have never seen a picture book about bats look so full of fun, love, emotion, and adventure. Add sense of community too. Ms. Bersani took a normally disliked animal and created a visual adventure full of great lessons built into the expressions and action. The author and illustrator were a perfect match which should attract the most prestigious awards. The cover alone makes me want to hold my arms out horizontally and swoosh around like I'm flying. Children will want to act out many of these pages and parents/teachers will want this book around as part of their classic collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars At Home in the Cave June 14, 2012

By Tina Nichols Coury

Format:Hardcover

Untitled-1What I love about Janet Halfmann's books is that she takes a nonfiction subject and makes it accessible to the youngest of readers. Home in the Cave (Sylvan Dell Publishing) is a recent project that does just that.

With beautiful art by award-winning illustrator Shennen Bersani, At Home In The Cave tells the story of Baby Bat, who falls from his perch and is befriended by another cave dweller, Pluribus the Packrat. Together they explore the cave and Baby Bat meets all the other animals that rely on bats and realizes the part he plays in helping preserve the other cave dwellers. This story of love, friendship and community has such heart and warmth. A must for any young, inquisitive reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming Artwork and Loads of Information Make This A Great Resource June 1, 2012

By Cheryl C. Malandrinos VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Though I adore Halfmann's work, I had reservations about traveling through a book about bats and cave-dwelling critters; even if all of them were depicted so charmingly by Shennen Bersani. But despite beetles and mites, and rattlesnakes and spiders, I found myself drawn to Home in the Cave. Young readers are treated to an ecology lesson that also teaches them about trying new things and becoming more independent. By giving Baby Bat the right motivation (helping others) Pluribus Packrat helped Baby Bat realize what bats mean to the habitat in which they live and the creatures they share it with.

Also included is educational information about: caves, rock formations, cave habitats, and bat echolocation. Kids can compare bats, birds, and humans. There's also a brief section on whether bats are good or bad based upon the information they just read.

Home in the Cave would be an excellent addition to any school or home library. Highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and Educational May 2, 2012

By Stacie Theis

Format:Hardcover

Home in the Cave by Janet Halfmann is a delightful story about a little bat who is refuses to learn to fly for fear of leaving the safety of the cave he lives in with his mother.

After befriending a mouse, the little bat takes a guided tour of his cave home and learns how many cave dwellers depend on bats for their survival. The little bat discovers the important job his mother has and now must decide if he should face his fears and learn to fly.

The book is very educational and provides facts about cave dwelling animals as well as teaching new vocabulary to young readers.

Shennen Bersani's illustrations visually engage readers's and enhance learning.

Home in the Cave can be used by teachers as a fun learning tool.